Shirtless Dancing Flirt - or how I came to love gay clubs

Of course a comment my friend Matty made on his blog got me thinking about my 1st trip ever to San Francisco. Specifically I went out there to visit someone I knew from college. He was more friends with my friends but we had become friendly over spring break and kept in touch. As I was Mr. Airline employee I called him one Friday afternoon and asked if I could come out and visit. He said "sure, when?" I said "How about tonight?" and it was off to Charlotte and then out to SFO on my favourite 757 - in first class (worth the $30 upgrade!).

I can't remember now actually if it was on my first or 2nd trip out there to visit him that we went out in the Castro. Now I think it was the 2nd time. I was years before coming out but agreed to go out and ended up at 4 very GAY bars - "Rising Sun, the Cafe, The Bar on Castro and yes Badlands." I am pretty sure that is what they were called - I have very vivid memories of them. Well details being what they are - I also went to a club called Universe which was the 1st (and still the best) club I'd ever been to. Like I said, I still had years to go in the closet - but that place was amazing.

The lights were so bright and coordinated with the THUNDEROUS sound system. At the time Vernessa Mitchell's 'This Joy' had recently come out and I remember hearing it at Universe. What a night - I had gone to visit Christian who I knew from college (that is how I know Matty, though ironically I was working at USAirways when his husband Ben got a job we had open in my dept - weird!) and he wasn't feeling well that Saturday night so I still ended up going out with his friends. Where I was getting that initial bravery I don't know - but wow it was liberating. I danced like a fool until 5:30 am Sunday and went back to my friend's apt for a couple hours then caught my flight home.

But I will never forget how enthralled I was with the music, the lights and most importantly the HOT shirtless boys at that club. In fact that was when I first discovered how to dance shirtless. Again - where did I get so brave? Alone at a GAY club (only 1 familiar face was nearby) and shirtless. I didn't dance with any boys, but in hindsight I remembered how badly I wanted to. The just looked so gorgeous - especially the ones with the fuzzy chests (San Francisco is the original bearcub town - even for preppy, young gays - there were hot musclecubs everywhere!) And the rest (including me NEVER wearing a shirt at a club thereafter - just ask Dbud or Matty or Matt - they all remember!) as they say is history.

In fact you can see me (yes still in the closet) at North Carolina Pride in 2001 at a Club Legends. Look at the guy in the bottom right corner of the picture in green sunglasses. Yup.

That's me - caught live on the web in the closet. I won't point out who else was accopanying me... but there are plenty of pictures STILL on the Club Legends website...